The Senate Committee on Education K-16 will meet at 9:15 a.m., Tuesday, April 15, 2025, to hear invited and public testimony on another round of bills, which include:
SB 401 Paxton – The proposed bill outlines the terms under which non-enrolled students can participate in UIL-sponsored activities. It defines “non-enrolled student” as those receiving instruction from nonpublic institutions and acknowledges the classification of home schools as private schools. Public schools would be overtly mandated to allow non-enrolled students the same opportunities as enrolled peers, except for instances where school boards opt out by majority vote. New provisions clarify that non-enrolled students could only participate in activities associated with schools they can attend based on residency, unless their local district declines access, in which case they could join the nearest eligible school that remains open to them. Eligibility hinges on the students demonstrating academic proficiency through standardized assessments and maintaining passing grades throughout the academic year. Non-enrolled students would be subjected to immunization requirements akin to public school students.
SB 865 Alvarado – This bill would require instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of automated external defibrillators for school district, private school, and open-enrollment charter school employees and volunteers. Existing requirements would be revised to ensure that all school employees listed, such as school nurses, athletic coaches, and physical education instructors, must not only receive training in CPR and AED use but also maintain certification from respected national organizations such as the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross. The includes provisions for open-enrollment charter schools, along with private schools, to establish policies that facilitate access to training for both employees and volunteers.
SB 1395 Hall – The bill mandates that each member of a local school health advisory council be appointed by an individual trustee of the school board. The bill would allow for the appointment of specific members via a majority vote from the board instead of through individual trustee appointments. All council members would serve a one-year term, which can be renewed upon reappointment. A majority of voting members would have to be parents of students enrolled in the district, with specific eligibility criteria focused on their employment status as well as familial connections to employees. The board would be empowered to appoint a diverse array of community members as voting members. The bill introduces provisions for nonvoting advisory members, which include district teachers and administrators. Each council would be required to meet at least four times a year, adhering to updated notification and record-keeping protocols.
SB 1581 Blanco – The bill amends the Education Code to clarify the employment eligibility of trustees within Texas ISDs. The key change is that a trustee cannot accept a position with the school district until one year after their term on the board concludes. However, this restriction is explicitly relaxed for trustees from districts that receive an allotment as specified in Section 48.101(b), allowing them to take employment with the district immediately after their tenure without waiting for the one-year period.
SB 1635 Hinojosa – This bill would establish a credit against required recapture payments for certain school districts for the cost of windstorm and hail insurance. It specifies that school districts located in first tier and second tier coastal counties defined by Section 2210.003 of the Insurance Code would be eligible for a credit against recapture payments. This credit corresponds to the cost incurred by the districts for windstorm and hail insurance in the previous school year. These districts could reduce their total required amount for purchasing attendance credit by the exact amount they spent on such insurance. The bill mandates that the insurance cost reduction would be applied after other allowable reductions are considered.
SB 1972 Middleton – This bill would limit trustees from adopting or enforcing rules that would limit their freedom to express personal opinions on matters voted upon by the board or related to any other school district issues.
SB 2008 Hagenbuch – This bill would require that each Texas school district post its calculated expenditures ratio on its official website. The information would have to be presented disaggregated by each district campus. (This bill was removed from the agenda after the initial hearing notice was sent.)
SB 2398 Campbell – This bill would establish academic accommodations for public school students diagnosed with concussion or other brain injuries. The bill would mandate TEA to develop a comprehensive list of non-medical academic accommodations that school districts have the option to offer to affected students. It requires the agency to create and make publicly available a form detailing the accommodations. The bill does not impose any obligation on school districts to provide accommodations; it offers guidance on what can be offered.
SB 2540 Nichols – This bill alters the sections of the Education Code that govern agreements involving minor boundary adjustments between two contiguous school districts. Under the bill, effective January 1, 2025, any new agreement must contain specific terms that remain in effect concerning the real property being transferred from one school district to another. This includes outlining any restrictions, covenants, or contracts that will still apply post-transfer. Additionally, the agreement must include a brief explanation of each school district’s privileges, rights, and responsibilities regarding these continuing terms. For agreements executed between January 1, 2025, and the effective date of the act, the proposed continuing terms would be deemed effective either on January 1, 2025, or on a later date as agreed upon by the parties involved.
SB 2619 Creighton – The proposed legislation addresses the election of trustees in districts that are classified as underperforming, requiring immediate action to replace current trustees with elected ones if performance ratings do not improve. The bill also stipulates that school boards must thoroughly assess and publicly provide the academic performance history of superintendent applicants prior to hiring. The bill would expand the powers of the commissioner of education to order trustee elections and establish staggered terms during periods when a management board is in place.
SB 2920 Campbell – This bill would regulate steroid use among students participating in athletic competitions authorized by UIL. It states that steroid usage prescribed and administered by a medical practitioner for a valid medical purpose is permitted, hence avoiding penalties related to athletic eligibility. The bill specifies that a valid medical purpose does not include steroids prescribed to transition a minor’s biological sex.
SB 2927 Creighton – This bill would amend the Education Code relating to the contractual relationships between school districts and open-enrollment charter schools or entities for the operation of district campuses. Changes include the removal of the previous introductory clause regarding contract subjectivity, replacing it with a directive for contracts to involve a comprehensive vetting process. The bill would require that contracts include explicit details about financial projections related to student enrollment and attendance. All federal funds received for students, particularly those qualifying under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, would be passed directly from the school district to the entity without unauthorized deductions. Each fiscal year would require a financial review to reconcile all payments between the district and the partnered entity. TEA would be authorized to provide guidance and conduct audits of these partnerships to ensure compliance. Contracts made or renewed prior to the bill’s enactment would still be governed by the previous laws.
SB 2929 Creighton – This legislation would allow referees, judges, and other officials at school extracurricular athletic activities to eject spectators without first issuing a verbal warning.
